A/N: This is a pretty strange crossover to write and I'm flying blind with such a tentative plot + setting, but I'll make do for relationship build ups... hopefully.

Warning(s):

1) Don't expect any lovey-dovey romance in this story (be it het, yaoi or yuri; unless it's a canon pairing like Seiji/Mika or Shinra/Celty, mainly because I, too, can write things other than yaoi), but be warned if the story takes an unexpected turn to exploring the genre, since a few of the main characters of the fic is either asexual, demisexual, bisexual or pansexual (this isn't entirely canon, but exploration on characters, right?).

2) I'll be exploring the possibility of Kuroko developing a slight depression disorder, though it won't be escalating to self-harm or suicide (I wouldn't have a story if one of my main characters committed suicide).

3) Rating will stay T and if any sort of gory or sexual situations happen, it will only be mentions.

4) Explorations on different things.

Summary: The road he walked stretched straight ahead, on and on until it splits into several ways. Which of these roads led to normality, heaven and hell? That was the big question, but choosing an unknown road depended on the path you took, right? This is the story of Kuroko Tetsuya, a high school dropout meeting the eccentric sociopath, Orihara Izaya.

Crossroad of Life

[ . . . 1 . . . ]

[ . . . the selfish journey . . . ]

"Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked.
'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat.
'I don't know,' Alice answered.
'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter."
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

There was a time when something mattered to Kuroko. Or, in his case, some things instead of just something. There were things like basketball, a daily life where he was no longer alone, consecutive victories, the promise with his childhood friend and upholding it, the joy of playing basketball, his teammates and most importantly ― or maybe not-so important anymore ―, his second best friend's smile when he was happy. All of these matter, should have mattered, and still should, but it no longer did and probably never will ever again.

Maybe, once upon a time, he cared far too much for them, disregarded everyone else and forsook the chances of ordinary friendships, which was what led to his imminent and undeniable downfall.

They threw him away and he became the outsider among geniuses of geniuses. They were supposed to be his friends, who were supposed to be there for him when he needed them but all they did was rip his still beating heart in to pieces with a knife.

So, he replaced all what was supposed to be the utmost of significances to him with cold eyes, steely determination, new found goals to get by and the fear of losing everything and being unable to pick up the shattered pieces to motivate him. Kuroko felt that he was less than human if he didn't care, so he tried and tried again. Perhaps that was what truly pushed him to join Seirin's basketball club, find a new light and fight against his ex-teammates.

Deep down, it scared him on how much he began to rely on people he only knew for only less than four years. It was as if the isolation became the stranger and the warmth of friendship wrapped around like a hug from a friend. He absolutely abhorred the feeling of helplessness without someone being there for him. Kuroko used to be fine without a person beside him, no matter how much Ogiwara insisted that they were best friends and they should be together forever, though he was convinced by a disgruntled Kuroko to be there just half or, unluckily for Kuroko, most of the time.

When he formed his goal, he already planned it meticulously, created contingency plans for contingency plans and excellent strategies woven like spider thread, excluding the unknown variables that were the possible abnormalities that might appear in his perfect plan made to receive a form of closure.

However, it all worked out in the end. To be honest, he didn't know it would actually happen, since how it formed was due to wishful thinking of wanting to be able to change it, so he would thank Seirin for most of their hard work, especially Kagami. Kuroko already knew he didn't do much ― he never did much anyways ―, but it still didn't stop him from having glee that was slowly settling in until it caused the tiniest hint of a smile.

But then, all the happiness washed away like sand with water, when he realized important things. This shouldn't be affecting him as it wasn't even a part of his priorities, so he should be cheering and celebrating with his comrades. Nonetheless, it caused an unsettling feeling to breed in the depths of his heart and a new kind of worry that itched too much until it cause an irritation.

It could be why, in the dead of the night, where everyone was sleeping in Kagami's living room from exhaustion of their last game and partying too much, Kuroko left the room with a tight twist knotting uncomfortably in his stomach, while slowly putting bits of information together to conceive a plan to disappear. Although Kuroko felt less than human if he stopped caring, he also felt like that he was better off dead than being here as his hopeless self without dreams.

He was going on a selfish journey to god knows where, alone once again.

. . .

. .

. . .

Kuroko has already given his resignation letter to the advisor of Seirin's Basketball Club when he swung by his school, or ex-school now since he officially withdrew, without much of a fuss made since his team (now no longer his and never will be) wasn't there to stop him. Despite it being just twelve and a half hours since he last saw them, Kuroko started to miss them, although it didn't deter him from his next great adventure and finishing the final checks.

He closed his black trolley case with a soft but audible snap and click, then placing it upright on its two wheels, to pull it along later when he finished checking if he left anything. Scanning the room half-heartedly, he found nothing else he needed to take, like his worn out basketball (he wouldn't be needing it anymore), his books (he could bring all of them to his new place later, that is, if he manages to find one) and half of his clothes, since he didn't need to bring that many.

Kuroko was practically set to go on his selfish journey.

Contrary to popular belief, Kuroko wasn't as much of a saint as Kagami said, when the fiery teenager decided it was time to wax poetics with bits of vulgarity thrown in about his best friend.

What people didn't know was that Kuroko thought of himself as outright rubbish and a waste of space. At times, he felt like he was only hanging on the thinnest thread to get through life without thinking how useless he was compared to others and without the thoughts of how he should just end it, right then and there.

Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to do it without going through the possible consequences, but it was, for the lack of better word, nice to know that he could have ended everything without resolving a single regret, yet he chose to continue his life, despite the hardships and pain he faced. Although the hardships he has encountered can't even hold a candle to the countless of lives destroyed by poverty and hunger somewhere else in this world, Kuroko still felt it was equally as excruciating.

Enough of the depressive thoughts, though. Kuroko closed the door, making sure not to wake up his grandmother and her paid caretaker and left the apartment. Right now, he was on his way to the train station, taking slow steps to the first pit stop of his journey; somewhere so close and loud that no one would think to find him there at all.

It would be easy for someone like him to blend in and disappear in a district like good ol' Shibuya.

. . .